The theft of a laptop computer at Cornwall's Eden project has exposed hundreds of employees to identity fraud.
The laptop containing sensitive information was taken from the car of an employee of Moorpay the company that handles the payroll for the Cornish biodome project.
The theft was reported at the beginning of this month, but it is only now that it has been made public.
Among the information contained within the laptop where employee bank details, names and addresses and National Insurance numbers for about 500 staff.
Tim Smit, Eden project creator, said in comments to the BBC that the organisation would make sure to tighten security and make sure that such information is never put in a vulnerable position again.
PGP European marketing director Jamie Cowper warned companies that they needed to be more aware of the risk posed by entrusting such information to third parties: 'Without a thorough assesment of the threat status of companies such as Moorepay, existing security policies can easily be rendered useless,' he said.
This is not the first recent case of laptop theft, Nationwide and Marks and Spencer have this year faced similar situations.
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